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About EOWA: Contains information on the Agency's role, the Act and our vision and mission statements. This section also contains the Director's profile and employment opportunites at the Agency.
About Equal Opportunity: Contains information on the importance of Equal Opportunity in the workplace and how it can benefit both your business and employees.
Developing a Workplace Program and Reporting: Includes all you need to know about reporting and compliance including developing workplace programs, submitting a compliance report and applying to be waived from reporting.
Case Studies: Diverse examples of the leading-edge practices being implemented by other organisations. Read about how these practices have benefited both business and workplace culture.
Partnerships and Events: Find out about upcoming EOWA events. Also download our calendar of other organisations' events, or tell us about an event your organisation is planning.
EOWA Employer of Choice for Women: Find out more about the initiatives these women-friendly organisations have put in place, or download information on applying for your organisation to become an Employer of Choice for Women. This section also contains useful resources for working women.
Research and Resources: This section houses the vast range of quality research and resources that have been produced by EOWA. Includes the EOWA Census, Annual Surveys, Publications and Employment Matter Guidelines and Resources.
Consultancy and Workshops: Download information on the various workshops and consultancy services provided by EOWA, including dates, times, locations and a registration form.
Media Centre: Contains media contact details and all EOWA Media Releases since December 1998.
Contact Us: Find our contact details including phone and fax numbers, physical and postal addresses and report submission contacts.
 Home : Australian Women in Leadership Census : About Equal Opportunity : Why EO Makes Business Sense : How To Argue the Business Case
Diversity, in general, enhances innovation and efficiency, helping to ensure that your organisation remains competitive. Evidence, such as that listed below, demonstrates that companies with a strong female representation at both the board level and senior management in particular, perform better on a variety of fronts than those without.

Make your CEO aware of the business benefits of equal opportunity:
  • Equal Opportunity can save a business thousands of dollars in TURNOVER costs. Click here to calculate how much staff turnover is costing your business.
  • Organisations that can demonstrate a commitment to tackling equal opportunity and diversity may reduce their vulnerability to legal action.
  • Effective management of human resources leads to greater productivity, efficiency, creativity and overall profitability.
  • Women represent an important customer base since they make or influence over 80% of all consumer purchase decisions. Read more on this here.
     

Read some quotes from CEO's in support of Gender Equality here.

The studies below demonstrate that gender equality in teams, in senior management and on boards can have a positive impact on an organisation’s performance.

Women on Boards
Lord Davies Report (February 2011)

“It is clear that boards make better decisions where a range of voices - drawing on different life experiences - can be heard. That mix of voices must include women.” (p. 3).

Women leaders: A competitive edge in and after the crisis
Women Matter 3, McKinsey & Company (2009)

A survey with a cohort of 800 business leaders found companies with at least three female executives score higher on the key organisational dimensions rated important during and after a crisis.

Women Matter: Gender diversity, a corporate performance driver McKinsey & Company (2007)

“Companies where women are most strongly represented at board or top-management level are also the companies that perform best, on both organisational and financial performance.” (p.1).

Innovative Potential: Men and Women in Teams
London Business School, (2007)

A study comprising 21 cross-sector organisations ranging in size and maturity across 17 countries demonstrates the importance of gender balance in teams. “In the past, there has been a view that there is a ‘tipping point’ of about 30% women that makes a difference. We found that for all these critical factors the optimal gender mix was about 50% men and 50% women. We also found that a slight majority of women (60%) creates optimal conditions in relation to the self-confidence of the team.” (p.6).

The Bottom Line: Corporate Performance and women’s representation on boards

Catalyst (2007)
“Companies with more women on their boards were found to outperform their rivals with a 42% higher return in sales, 66% higher return on invested capital and 53% higher return on equity.” (p.1).

What else can you do?

Promote the benefits of obtaining an 'EOWA Employer of Choice for Women' citation; achieving the citation publicly demonstrates your organisation’s commitment to gender diversity.

Click here for more about EOWA's Employer of Choice for Women citation.
 
 
 
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Media releases, EOWA backgrounds and Director's profiles...
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Information on EO matters for all levels of education...
Did you know . . .

For every $1 a company spends on flexible work or family benefits, there is a return of $2 through to $6 through reduced absenteeism, increased motivation and higher rates of retention'

(Work/Family Directions 1994 Study in US)
Quote
“Commitment to Equal Opportunity makes good business sense because it ensures a company attracts and retains the best people. EO policy also provides confidence to employees that they will be treated fairly and receive equal access to opportunities.”

... McDonald’s CEO, Guy Russo